


Judgement Blow

by Tusjecht



Category: Accel World
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-09
Updated: 2016-03-09
Packaged: 2018-05-25 17:54:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6204988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tusjecht/pseuds/Tusjecht
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yuniko's perspective in Episode 12 as she kills her mentor, teammate, and friend. One shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Judgement Blow

The explosion is all you need to hear. Far away, at Sunshine City's Leave Point, you see it; black and white lightning, racing down its edge. They're going so fast, it's like a speeding comet. Complete with flames setting their path on fire. It's eerily _beautiful_ , like the shooting stars you saw together with him.

It's impossible for anyone to survive that, but for one moment, you just want _Cherry -_ you want him to survive that crash, for that armour, no matter how cursed and bloody it is, to protect him at the moment you can't.

-They'll hit the ground in five seconds. You're still too far away.

So you scrunch up your eyes and concentrate _-_ willing for flames to consume you, to give you the speed you want, all for the strength to be by his side, and _whoosh-_

You're nearly teleporting now. In short bursts of ten, twenty metres. Flames lick your legs, setting the terrain on fire. It will expose your use of the forbidden techniques, but you just don't care!

You're a hundred metres away now when you feel it; as though the earth is shaking, as though a meteor itself was summoned from the heavens to appear on the land, the ground quakes angrily. Two towers next to Sunshine City collapse, and you go _"Oh no-!"_

Another burst, more speed, more speed! You want to reach him before he kills Silver Crow, before he takes another life-

And you arrive.

There's no need to think about cutting back on the willpower, because it's all leaving you as surely as your breath is; the crater is impossibly wide, large enough for a small house. Smoke is steaming everywhere, how hot was that?

Silver Crow's tall, thin outline rose and staggered. You're taking small, quiet steps now, you're almost there. You're nearly by Cherry's side again, as you had been all this time in the past.

Crow is kneeling, whether from exhaustion or from pain. You can't tell and you don't care. You raise a fist and rap his head, uttering words you never thought you'd say:

"...you did it, Silver Crow. The rest...leave it to me."

You're trembling inside even as you say that, you know it. That silvery skinny guy, what did he do again? He had just dragged Cherry, dragged him and dived down all the way from the top, making this crater. You fully knew what you were asking for, but why do all this?

Can evil be reciprocated with evil guiltlessly? Doesn't that guy deserve a shot or two in the head for taking Cherry down?

But no, you're brushing these aside, you're hardening your heart again. You step down into the crater and look at that, that sight-

He's so brown and crusty, he looks like the toasted bread you ate together in the mornings, the slice he always gave you for breakfast because he wanted you to grow-

"Ni..Niko..."

He's alive! You sink to your knees, placing your finger on his lips before you know it, and you're hushing him as though you want him to conserve energy. As if he's just tired after a long day of hunting, not as if he's about to die-

"Everything's okay, everything's going to be f-fine..."

As if you believe that too. Unforgivable, lying to your first friend in this lonely world?

Your left arm is missing from the elbow down, and as you move it behind his charred back, it's sparking in protest and the pain is so _real_. But you don't care, you're staggering forward on this one-way journey like a scarlet masochist.

The pistol is drawn and thunks against his chest lightly. You've chosen a spot right over his heart, how ironic right? The one place you always wanted to stay in, so that he wouldn't have put on that cursed armour, you're about to shoot it out - out of this world of unreal bonds, out of this world of strife and suffering, out of this world filled with nothing but pain.

He's stirring slightly, as though he suddenly realised what's going to happen. He's Level 7 only, but you're Level 9, a King and Legion Master at the same time. There's only one thing that could happen to him now.

"I'm..I'm...s-s-so-sorryyy, Niko," He's stuttering again. "I di-di-didn't wan-want to ki-ki-kill so manyy-"

You can't take it, there has to be some reconciliation, you take the gun off and wrap him in your first and last hug, feeling him all over and inside. His burnt armour is warm, cruelly warm, it's being carved into your memory even as you're thinking this.

Someone touches your arm - is it Crow? You turn and realise it's not, it's Cherry's withered right hand on your arm, pushing you back. He knew, after all, even he doesn't deserve this mercy from you, not any more.

Your avatar cannot cry, Scarlet Rain, do not curse yourself for it. You place the gun on his chest again, dead centre so that you believe you can spare his heart-

"I..I won't..f-f-forget you, Yuniko.."

They're his last words before your finger trembles just a bit too much, and-

_*bang*_

He's gone, disappearing before your eyes, there's nothing more you can do about it. Kouzuki Yuniko - Scarlet Rain, you will be remembered as the King who executed your own parent, mentor, and friend.

You look up just as the last few strands of orange light disappear into the night sky, the starry night sky you once watched together with him in the real world. You're crying again, tears are falling down your face, tears that no one else knew are there but him, and him alone.

**end.**

**Author's Note:**

> You don't see this interaction in the anime, but it is mentioned in the light novel that Yuniko and Cherry Rook exchange a few words before his death. For two people who are so close, I'd never imagine she would just let go of him so quickly just like that in the anime, so I took it upon myself to fill in the gap.


End file.
